Trophectodermal cell-specific gene transfer methods
US8815598B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 31, 2006 |
| Grant date | Aug 26, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 28, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC12N2799/027
- WIPO fieldBiotechnology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present inventors discovered that genes could be introduced specifically into trophectodermal cells with high efficiency, by infecting blastocysts with viral vectors carrying an arbitrary polynucleotide, or by using a nucleic acid transfection reagent in blastocysts, from which zona pellucida (extracellular matrix covering preimplantation early embryos to protect them from infection of viruses and the like) is removed. This method has no risk of infecting cells of the inner cell mass, which develops into a fetus in the future, with the introduced polynucleotide because the trophectoderm serves as a barrier. The present invention provides methods for introducing foreign genes into only placenta but not fetus, which enables rescue of genetically mutant animals from embryonic lethality due to placental abnormality and allows their birth. Furthermore, it is possible to analyze expression and effect of genes that regulate placental formation or placental function by using these methods.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.